Hot-air engine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1.

S. VIVIAN. HOT- AIR ENGINE.

No. 437,320. Patented Sept. 30. 1890.

Z'IIII/IIIA YIIII/ F I mTm W/T SE3. i v INVENTOH D V v $a%w fi y m 1' lATTORNEYS.

m: NORRIS PETERS co., vnowumu, WASHINGTON, a c:

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)-

S. VIVIAN. HOT AIR ENGINE. No. 437,320. Patented Sept. 30, 18-90.

W/ 53358: INVENTOH:

Y v q M w Mm g i ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC SIMON VIVIAN, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORK.

HOT-AIR ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,320, datedSeptember 30, 1890.

Application filed November 1, 1889. Serial No. 328,911. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.- Be it known that I, SIMON VIVIAN, a subjectof the Queen of Great Britain, residing at the city of Brooklyn, in thecounty of Kings and and the power-cylinder. Just below the cooler Stateof New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Hot-AirEngines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to that class of hotair engines wherein the sameor substantially the same volume of air is alternately heated andcooled, producing a variation of pressure which actuates thepower-piston; and it consists, mainly, in making the enginedoubleacting, the power-cylinder being inverted and placed together withthe crank-shaft between the reversers or heating and cooling cylinders.

The invention further consists in the construction, arrangement, andcombination of parts, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the engine, partly broken away and inlongitudinal vertical section. same, partly in transverse verticalsection. Fig. 3 is aplan view of the same. Fig. 4 is a sectional planview of one of the heating-cylinders, taken on the line :1: 0c of Fig 5,showing I the regenerator therein. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of thesame; and Fig. 6 is a view of part of the regenerator, showing thestaggered arrangement of the projections thereon.

The engine is constructed with duplicate furnaces A, in each of which isfitted an airheater B, by which the confined air which opcrates theengine is heated in the manner usual to hot-air engines. To the upperend of each of the heatersis attached a cylinder B around the upperportion of which is fitted a cooler O, supplied with water for coolingthe air, as hereinafter stated.

Within each of the heating and cooling cylinders is fitteda telescopicsleeve B so as to provide between the same a space E for the circulationof the air in a thin body to insure a thorough and rapid heating andcooling of the same on its way to and from the heaters and the space Band surrounding each tele- Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the scopicsleeve is placed a regenerator D, con- 5, and 6, which projections havea staggered arrangement, as best shown in the latter named figure,whereby the air on its way to and from the power-cylinder and heaters isforced to take a winding course, and is thereby completely acted upon bythe regenerators.

The upper ends of the cylinders B are closed by heads or covers E, theunder faces of which are recessed above the ends of the telescopicsleeves, thus providing spaces a for the passage of theair. Said headsor covers are also constructed with downwardly and inwardly projectingportions E of less diameter than that of the telescopic sleeves, andwithin the same are fitted stuffing-boxes E in which work the rods G ofpistons G, which work within the telescopic sleeves in the heating andcooling cylinders.

The power-cylinder F, which is inverted, is located between the heatingand cooling cylders, is connected at its upper end by a port f with theleft-hand cylinder, and at its lower end by a port f with the right-handcylinder, and in its bottom has a stuffing-box f in which works the rodH of its piston H, which piston-rod also operates the piston of a pump1, located beneath the power-cylinder in alignment therewith andconnected in the usual manner to a source of water-supply.

The piston-rod H is connected to a crosshead H guided on vertical waysor rods H and the cross-head is connected by a rod J with a crank j on ashaft J, journaled beneath the power-cylinder and in alignment therewithand with the pump in bearings on a bed-plate M, located between theheating and cooling cylinders. Said shaft J carries at its rear end afly-wheel K, the wrist-pin l of which is connected by a rod L with oneend of a lever L secured at its other end to a rock-shaft L, journaledin bearings above and at the rear of the power-cylinder,on which shaftis mounted a walking-beam L, connected at its ends by links G with therods G of the pistons G of the reversers or heating and coolingcylinders.

a chamber I in the bed-plate M, whereby wa- The pump I is connected by apipe I with 3 4 press theleft-hand reverser-piston and at the same timeraising the right-hand reverseriston. As said left-hand piston passesdownward the heated air below it is displaced and is transferred to thespace above the piston, passing in its course through the regenerator,where it is deprived of the greater portion of its heat, and past thecooler, where it is furthercooled. As the fly-wheel further re- .volvesthe reverser-piston is raised, causing the air to be transferredto theheater, it be ing raised in temperature as it passes the regenerator bythe heat stored therein as the air passes upward to the cooler, and uponreaching the heater B this air is again heated to its initialtemperature or higher by the action of the furnace underneath saidheater. This alternate raising and lowering of the reverser-piston andthe accompanying alternate heating and cooling of the air produce avariation of pressure on the power-piston, causing it to rise and falland operate the pump below it. I a

It will be noticed by reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings that when thepower-piston is in its lowermost position the reverser-pistons are insubstantially an intermediate position in their cylinders.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent.

1. In ahot-air engine, the combination, with a heater, a cooler aroundthe upper end of the reverser, and a telescopic sleeve extending fromend to end of the heater and cooler, of a regenerator surrounding thetelescopic sleeve below the cooler and having staggered projections onboth faces, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a hot-air engine, the combination, with a pair of heating andcooling cylinders and an inverted power-cylinder between said cylindersand in communication therewith at its top and bottom, of a pump beneathand in alignment with the power-cylinder, a pistonrod working in thepower-cylinder and pump, a cross-head on the piston-rod, a crank-shaftjournaled beneath and in alignment with the power-cylinder, andconnections between the cross-head and crank-shaft, substantially asshown and described.

3. In a hot-air engine, the combination, with a pair ofheating-cylinders fitted in furnaces and a power-cylinder between saidcylinders and in communication therewith at its top and bottom, ofcoolers at the upper endsof the heating-cylinders, telescopic sleeve insaid cylinders, regenerators in said cylinders below the coolers, havingstaggered projec-' tions on both faces, a pump beneath and in alignmentwith the power-cylinder and operated therefrom, and a connection betweenthe water-chamber of the pump and the coolers, substantially as shownand described.

4. In a hot-air engine, the combination, with a pair ofheating-cylinders fitted in furnaces and a power-cylinder between saidcylinders and in communication therewith at its top and bottom, ofcoolers at the upper ends of the heating-cylinders, telescopes in saidcylinders, regenerators in said cylinders below the coolers, havingstaggered projections on both faces, a power-shaft journaled beneath andin alignment with the power-cylinder, a pump beneath and in alignmentwith the power-cylinder and operated therefrom, a pipe leading from .thepump to achamber under the bearings of the crank-shaft, and portsleading from said chamber to the coolers, substantially as shown anddescribed.

5. Ina hot-air engine, the combination; with a pair of heating andcooling cylinders, pistons working in said cylinders, and an invertedpower-cylinder between said cylinders and in communication therewith atits top and bettom, of a pump beneath and in alignment with thepower-cylinder, a piston-rod working in the power-cylinder and pump andcarrying a cross-head, a crank-shaft journaled beneath thepower-cylinder and in alignment therewith and with the pump, a flywheelon the crank-shaft, a walking-beam mounted above the power-cylinder andconnected with the pistons in the heating and cooling cylinders, andconnections between the cross-head and crank-shaft and the flywheel andwalking-beam, substantially as shown and described.

6. A double-acting hot-air engine which consists of a pair of reversers,each provided with a telescopic sleeve extending from end to end of thereverser and with independent heating and cooling mechanism, aregenerator placed around each of said sleeves between its heating andcooling mechanism, an inverted power-cylinder connected with each ofsaid reversers and operated by each alternately, mechanism operated bysaid inverted power-cylinder, a crank-shaft journaled between saidreversers in bearings on the bedplate and operated by the piston-rod ofsaid power-cylinder to drive the fly-wheel carried upon saidcrank-shaft, and devices for keep- I ing said bearings constantly cool,substantially as described, and for the purposes specified.

. SIMON VIVIAN. Witnesses:

F. W. HANAFORD, EDGAR TATE.

